The Seventh Attribute of God: His Immensity

The Infiniteness of his presence, Or, His Immensity.

For the first: The Infiniteness of his presence, that is another attribute which he takes to himself in Scripture. As (Jeremiah 23:24): Can any man hide himself in secret places, that I shall not see him, says the Lord? Do I not fill heaven and earth, says the Lord? That is, he is present everywhere, in all the parts of heaven and earth, even as water when it fills every place, and as the light when it shines throughout the whole world. So, (Ephesians 4:6): One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. God fills all in all.

Question: Only this question may be asked, whether he be without the world, as well as he is in the world? Because some have disputed it, therefore we will briefly answer it.

Answer: The Scripture is clear in it, that he is without the world; there is no limits of his essence that we can set down; he is not contained within the compass of heaven and earth, as you shall see in (2 Chronicles 2:6): But who is able to build him a house, seeing the heaven of heavens cannot contain him? But this is but a curious question; therefore I will leave it, and will come to show the reason of his omnipresence, why he is immense, why he is everywhere, as I have done in the rest.

1. This property or attribute of immensity must needs be given to God, because his essence is infinite, which has been before proved. Now as the argument holds good, that according to the substance of every thing, such must the quality be in things that have quantity; if the body be great, so must the quantity be: so, if God be an infinite essence (as he is), there is as good reason that he should have an infinite presence accompanying it, as that a great body has a quantity answerable to it. So that he is of an infinite being, and therefore also of an infinite presence.

2. You see it by experience, and cannot deny it, that his power is everywhere; he guides all things, he puts forth his power everywhere. Now in the Lord, seeing there is no faculty as is in man, but whatever is in him is himself, it cannot be but that he himself must be in every place where he does anything. The fire may heat afar off, and so may the Sun give light to the whole world, and yet abide in the firmament, because it has a quality of heat and light; but Almighty God is most simple, there is no composition in him, no quality, no executive power, but he is himself what he is, and therefore what he does is done by himself immediately, immediatione suppositi, as the Schoolmen express it.

Lastly, I add, that God must be everywhere present, not only within the world, but as Solomon expresses it, The heaven of heavens cannot contain him; that is, he is without the world as well as within it, because we cannot deny but that he is able to make other worlds as well as this. And then if he should not be without the world, he should move himself, and change his place, and there should be a world where he is not present; but he is not capable of any change, of any motion or alteration of place.

Only one caution must be taken in: You see that the light is in many places throughout the world, but the presence of God is not like to that presence, nor the presence of any creature, because he is totally present. The creatures are not so, but according to the parts of them, one part here, another there; but God being without all parts, wherever he is, he must be totally there. Therefore you must not conceive God is commensurable by the place, as if he were partly here, and partly in another place, but he is everywhere all present. The heavens you see have a large place, but they have one part here, another there; but the Lord is totally present, wherever he is present.

Use 1 First, if God is everywhere present, so that he does not do anything by a mediate virtue or power, but he does it by the presence of his essence, from here we gather: first, that he governs the world immediately. For though there are means used, yet he is present with those means. Other kings must needs govern by deputies and viceroys, and inferior magistrates of justice, because they cannot be everywhere: from which it comes to pass that kings may be good, and yet the people may be oppressed by their wicked instruments. But with the Lord it is not so: but he guides immediately, and being everywhere present, he needs no deputies, for he is not capable of information, as kings are, but sees all with his own eyes, and hears all with his own ears. And again, he uses no deputies: for the use of deputies argues a defect, as the using of spectacles or crutches does, if the eyes or legs were well and sound enough, a man would not use them; so a man would not write letters, or use other means to do his business, but from a defect; he is not large enough to do his business immediately. But Almighty God, he is everywhere present, and in his governing all things are done by his own almighty power. Good governors may have wicked instruments, contrary to their minds, which they know not of, as Eli and Samuel had: but in God's government it is not so. Therefore learn from here, not to complain of the iniquity of the times, or the injustice of men. It is true, that a kind mother may ignorantly put her child to a wicked nurse, that will abuse it: but God never puts any of his children to nurse, but he is present with them, his government is immediate. So that what is said of David, he is a man after God's own heart, it may be said of every king and governor; they do what God would have them to do, though it be for evil, as his was for good, they are men after God's own heart. As it was in the killing of Jesus Christ, even that is said to be done by the determinate counsel of God. And therefore let no man complain of his governors: for God governs not by deputies, but by himself. Therefore let no man say that he has an evil master or governor, but let him acknowledge that whatever he has from man, it is the work of the Almighty God, who is everywhere present: it is he who disposes of men, and puts them into such a condition; for he is the King of heaven and earth. Therefore complain to him, and be patient, because he has done it: do not complain of men, and fret against them, because the Lord is not absent in his kingdom, but is present to guide and dispose them according to his own pleasure.

Use 2 Secondly, if God is everywhere present in his own essence and person, we should all the more choose him to be our God, and rejoice much in the ampleness of our portion, seeing we have such a God who is everywhere: we can go nowhere but he is present with us; we have nothing to do a thousand miles hence, but he is there, and does our business for us. We seek a multitude of friends, because one cannot do it, because one does one thing, and another another; one friend may be a comfort to us in one place, but if you come to another place, there you may be destitute; friends cannot be everywhere, from which we need many friends: but if you look upon the Lord, and his omnipresence, all this is supplied in him; he is in every place, and he can do your business for you, though you are distant from the place where it is to be done. And God is with you everywhere, as it was his promise to Jacob, when he went to Padan Aram, I will be with you, says the Lord. So he said to David; and when Joseph went into prison, the Lord went with him. When Abraham was called out of his country, the Lord told him to go, I will be with you. Beloved, when you consider this, that God is everywhere present, and can do everything for you, whereby he has the sweetness of a thousand friends in him, and the ability of as many; I say, when we consider this, it should teach us not only to be content, but to say that we desire no more.

Learn therefore to study this attribute. The more we know him by it, the more comfort we gather from it. As, is it not a matter of great comfort, that in all places we should have a God to do all our business? To which purpose is that expression in (Jeremiah 23:23-24). He is a God near at hand: that is, though your business lie in other countries, yet I am there to do it for you. And again, is it not a comfort to consider that he is with your enemies, perhaps in a distant place? For you think, that if you were there, you would have something to prevent them. Consider that he is there, and after another manner than any man is: he is present with their minds, and knows their counsels, and moves their hearts, and disposes of all their counsels. As Elisha told the king of Aram's counsel to the king of Israel, which showed that God was there. So also he is present with your friends when they are absent: it may be that they forget us, yet he can stir them up, as he did stir up Cyrus to do what he did for the people of Israel. So likewise he is present with our children, when we are with God, when we are gone out of this world, to provide for them, and to bring them up. He is present with all our affairs and business; when we are absent, and know not how things go, we are apt to be solicitous: but if we would consider, that he is a great God, and that he is everywhere, this should comfort us, and stay our hearts. And therefore think to yourself, that you have a large portion, because you have the LORD. And this is the second use.

Use 3 Thirdly, if God is everywhere present, here you may see a ground for his particular providence. It seems something strange to men, that every small thing should be disposed of by him; we think indeed that great things are: but for the least things, there we are apt to make a doubt, and can hardly believe it. But this point in hand is a great confirmation of this truth. If a horse stumble by the way, we think it a common accident; if a fly fall into a man's eye, or if a tile fall off from the house, or an axe head, we look upon them as common accidents; but if we consider that he is present there, it is then an easy matter for us to believe, that God does dispose all these: when the axe head falls off, it is in his hand, as before it was in the hand of the workman. If he is present with every small creature, with every fly, with every sparrow and stone, with every motion of the creature, then all the actions that befall us, they are all his works. In him we live, move, and have our being: that is, he is present with every creature. Therefore it is no difficulty to believe, that he guides the smallest thing. If an enemy hurts us, we are to think, that he is but as a staff in God's hand, as it is said of Nebuchadnezzar. Every accident is but as a cup, as Christ says of the cup that was brought to him by others, Shall not I drink of the cup, which my Father gives me? So we may say of every affliction. The tongues of men are but scourges in his hand, he can rule them as he pleases: and so we should think of every action. And indeed the more we think of his particular providence, the more we conceive of his infiniteness. For why do we think men to be present, but because they see and hear? Because they do something? If the body is there, and the soul gone, we say, that the man is absent: it is the action that makes them present. Therefore the schoolmen say, that the angels are said to be present here or there, because they work there. Therefore, I say, the more that we can see God's hand in every action, the more we acknowledge his presence. Therefore we should labor to be abundant in considering the omnipresence of God upon all occasions: as if a man is out of the way, and one comes and tells him that he is so, we should be ready to say, that GOD sent him. If we are in a strait, and know not what to do, and there comes one, and helps us; we should say that it comes from God. So did David when Abigail came and met him; he says that the Lord sent her (1 Samuel 25:32). And this would easily be believed, if we would think that he is present everywhere. There is no man that speaks for us or against us, that does us either hurt or good, but GOD is present with him, and stirs him up to it, whatever it be. (1 Chronicles 5:26) And the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul King of Assyria, etc.: that is, he himself was present with his Spirit, he stirred him up: (for the thoughts of men have their rising up, from their spirit stirring them to good or evil.) So also for their speeches: when Shimei cursed David, David says, that it was the Lord that sent him. So the Lord is present with the creatures: it is he that acts them, and sets them on work to do us any good. And this is the next use that we are to make of it.

Use 4 Fourthly, if GOD is present everywhere, it should teach us patience, and meekness, and quietness of mind in all injuries and hard measure which we suffer from men. This use you shall see made of it (Philippians 4:5): Let your moderation be known to all men, the Lord is at hand. (James 5:8) Be you also patient, establish your hearts; for the coming of the Lord draws near. Therefore when any injury is done you, when you are oppressed by men that have power over you, yet be quiet: for GOD sees it, and knows it; and he takes care for you. A man will be ready to say, shall I take this? Shall I be trampled under foot? As I shall be, if I resist them not: says the Apostle, you need not to fear, for the Lord is present. We use to say, if the magistrate is not present, we may offend another, to defend ourselves; but if the magistrate is present, there is no excuse: so here the Judge stands at the door. Servants, if their masters are absent, will defend themselves against their fellow-servants; but if the master is there, and looks on, they will let them alone, because he has power to punish, and knows better how to avenge them: so is it in this case; when we consider that GOD is present, and that he sees what we suffer, we should be quiet, and patient, and not only be patient within, but let our patient minds be known to all men, that is, carry ourselves so, that men may see it, and take notice of it. And if you say, that nothing is done, but he abuses me more and more: I answer. Consider, it is not because the Lord is weak, and cannot help us; or because he is negligent, and will not do it; no, he is present, and sees it all the while: but you must consider, that the due time is not come, therefore you must be quiet, and not tumultuous in your thoughts, and vengeful in your spirits, because the LORD looks on, and will avenge you in due time. Therefore this is the thing added in Philippians 4. Because, when a man suffers anything from another man, then he will be ready to be solicitous, how to defend himself, and what he shall do hereafter; says the Apostle, Be you in nothing careful, etc.: for the LORD is at hand: that is, he does not stand by as a looker on, or a bare spectator, who means to do nothing but see the injuries done and suffered, but he looks on, as one that takes care for you. Therefore be you in nothing careful: but in everything by prayer, and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to GOD.

Finis.